All sorts of glass vessels and other utensils may be purified from
long-retained smells of every kind, in the easiest and most perfect
manner, by rinsing them out well with charcoal powder, after the
grosser impurities have been scoured off with sand and potash. Rubbing
the teeth and washing out the mouth with fine charcoal powder, will
render the teeth beautifully white, and the breath perfectly sweet,
where an offensive breath has been owing to a scorbutic disposition of
the gums. Putrid water is immediately deprived of its bad smell by
charcoal. When meat, fish, &c., from intense heat, or long keeping,
are likely to pass into a state of corruption, a simple and pure mode
of keeping them sound and healthful is by putting a few pieces of
charcoal, each about the size of an egg, into the pot or saucepan
wherein the fish or flesh is to be boiled. Among others, an experiment
of this kind was tried upon a turbot, which appeared to be too far
gone to be eatable; the cook, as advised, put three or four pieces of
charcoal, each the size of an egg, under the strainer in the
fish-kettle; after boiling the proper time, the turbot came to the
table sweet and firm.